WHAT WOULD THEY SAY?

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Many people who were doing very well in life before until some sort of misfortune happened are suffering in silence today, not because there’s nothing more they can do to at least have three square meals a day but because they are dwelling too much on “what people would say”.

Who cares about what the people would say?

If it’s the same people who would not give you a dime are the ones who’d always laugh when they see you trying to fight poverty off by doing some ‘humble’ legit jobs? Then let them laugh.

Nobody has any excuse to die of hunger!

You may not have that luxury car or other luxuries of life at the moment, but you have no excuse to die of hunger if you are not physically impaired,  ill, bedridden or something.

Just the other day, I boarded a bus but got held up in one ‘terrible’ traffic for almost an hour. Yes, an hour! Which shouldn’t be news for many in this part of the world.

Anyhow, the core of this post is not about the traffic but about the conductor of that bus.

While in the traffic, I engaged Tunji (by far the most respectful conductor I’ve ever encountered in my entire life) in a discussion.

First of all, I got on the bus; he greeted me and then asked if I was “okay”, properly settled on one of the seats before he asked the driver to move. Then he proceeded to collect his money in a very good manner “aunty please, your money”. I gave the money to him and he gave me my change and said “thank you”.

After a short drive, another passenger boarded and he extended the same courtesy towards the passenger, it was at this point I took an interest in him.

Unlike the many bedraggled ones seen on the roads, Tunji was well dressed in a simple traditional ‘ankara’ attire with hair well cut and of course no mouth or body odour, as I was seated next to him and furthermore well-spoken too.

In the course of the journey, I found out that he’s not only a graduate who had at a time worked in one of the blue chip organisations in this country but also a father of two.

He talked about how things went from ‘very awesome’ to ‘very appalling’ and then couldn’t stand to watch his family get hungrier than they later got so he decided to take up the job of becoming a conductor until something better comes up.

Of course by the time I disembarked, I was convinced without doubts that not too long from that moment, Tunji would get back on his feet again given some of the plans he talked about in the short journey with him.

What am I trying to say here?

Don’t die of hunger simply because of “what would people say”?

What is that thing you can start doing right now? Start from wherever you are and with whatever you have. There is nothing to be ashamed of.

It will pay off in the end.👌

©Stella Ene - Inyang